IN the US Armed Forces, the generals are predominantly white males – although blacks have made some headway. But Asian Pacific Americans are at the bottom of the totem pole in the military ranks. In the US Navy, US Air Force and in the US Marines, there is no flag officer of Asian descent. However, in the US Army, a lieutenant general who is a Filipino-American, Army Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano, became the highest-ranking Filipino-American in the history of the American military.
Edward Soriano was born on November 12, 1946, in Alcala, Pangasinan, Philippines, to Federico Soriano, a military officer, and Encarnacion, a homemaker who raised Soriano and his sister Blez. Federico was a corporal in the 57th Infantry Regiment of the Philippines Scouts who was part of the infamous Death March and was forced to stay at an internment camp for three years. He inspired his son, Edward, to join the military as well.
In the 1960s, the Sorianos moved to Salinas, California. Soriano’s father joined the United States Army as a corporal, and eventually retired as a major.
Edward Soriano graduated from Salinas High School, and from San Jose State University graduated with a degree in management. He went on to get a master’s degree at the same school. Then, he joined the Army as Second Lieutenant.
Throughout his career, Soriano attended several military schools. In 1989 he graduated from the Army War College. After his initial training, in 1973 Soriano commanded Company C, 3d Battalion, 47th Infantry of the 3d Brigade of the US 9th Infantry Division. He held that position until 1975. Soriano was next given the position of assistant commander of the 1st Infantry Division of American peacekeeping forces in Bosnia. He also served in the Gulf War, becoming the chief of a liaison team to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force sent to Saudi Arabia. In 1992 he was sent to be the Army Section chief of the Secretary of Defense Gulf War Report team for operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Because of his good performance record, Soriano became the director for operations, readiness, and mobilization at the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans. In that position he made certain that Army units were prepared to be instantly deployed on missions around the world. He was specifically in charge of troops in Haiti, Bosnia, Somalia, and other areas of tension around the world.
After September 11, 2001, when the World Tade Center buildings were destroyed by terrorists, the US government set up a homeland security department under the Joint Forces Command. Soriano was given the office of the second director of homeland security in the military in November of 2001. He held the position for ten months before he was made, in 2002, a commanding general of I Corps and Fort Lewis in Washington, a position he held until his retirement in 2004.
When he retired, Soriano was a three-star lieutenant general. The day he attained that position he became the highest-ranking Filipino-American in the United States armed forces, and only the second general ever to have Filipino roots.
Soriano is married to Vivian Guillermo, and they have had two children, Melissa and Keith. He has been given many awards over the lifetime of his careers, including the Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Defense Superior Service Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, and several Army Commendation and Achievement Medals. He has also received many badges over his career, including the expert infantryman’s badge and has been ranger and airborne qualified.
( Published on April 29, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. B2 )
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